Should I take political action or start inventing?

"Okay," I said. "I'm going to invent a time machine, and then send it back to myself to get the design to use. I'd like that design to show up now."

A package appeared on my desk. But no blueprints inside, just a letter:

...................

Dear Ted,

You did, in fact, invent a time machine in the year 2011. However, in 2009, the President appointed ten cats to the Supreme Court, giving cat SCOTUS judges the ability to overrule human judges. In a landmark 2010 ruling, it was declared that property would be determined not by paperwork, but by smell. The time machine you had invented smelled like someone else, so they got it. Therefore you are unable to send the time machine back to yourself.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office during business hours. My office is open from 8am to 4pm, Monday through Friday, beginning in 2009.